Aggregators work together with RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds.  Look for an RSS icon on your favorite sites and subscribe to them.  Aggregator tools include:

• Bloglines.com: http://www.bloglines.com/
• Google Reader

The following are tutorials and information about setting up your aggregator and working with RSS:

• Classroom 2.0 has Lee LeFever's RSS in Plain English (2007, April) with a very concise explanation of RSS.
• In RSS: A quick start guide for educators, Will Richardson (2005) describes the process for setting up your own RSS (Really Simple Syndication) Feed Reader, how to find and add feeds, using RSS feeds in the classroom, and he provides resources.
• RSS Tutorial for content publishers and webmasters also includes a brief technical overview, how people use feeds, choosing content for feeds, and publishing your feed.
• Watch the short informational video clip on setting up an RSS feed, hosted by Edutopia.org.

• RSS Compendium: http://allrss.com/rssfeeds.html provides links to major collections of feeds in several categories. 

Blog: short for Web log, "a website for which an individual or a group frequently generates text, photographs, video, or audio files, and/or links, typically (but not always) on a daily basis" (Wikipedia). Postings are chronological, and unlike wikis, cannot be edited by others (Fountain, n.d.)

Blogs in the classroom:

Dan McDowell (2004) proposes blogging techniques for the K12 classroom and provides links to examples of each.  Educators can use blogs as administrative tools for one-way delivery of information to students and parents.  Blogs can be used as discussion tools.  A teacher might post a discussion question or topic on a single blog, and students post their responses.  Or, teachers can allow students to not only respond, but to post their own comments.  Blogs can also be used as publication tools.  Students each have their own blog on which they post assignments, projects, digital portfolios, reflections, and so on. 

Blogs can serve a personal agenda or be journalistic in nature. Educators might need to justify that using a blog will contribute to helping students reach instructional objectives and master standards, so that they perform well on state-mandated tests. But, consider that blogs offer the collaboration so important in a learner-centered instructional environment. 

If you use a blog, it should be an integral part of your instruction, so that students will not view it as just another thing to do.  According to Ruth Reynard (2007), when used throughout a course, the statements that students make while blogging can be categorized to demonstrate their learning.  Each student develops his/her own voice in the process.  Reynard indicates, "Student response statements really cover a wide variety of "types" that reflect the instructional goals of the courses. That is, when developing individual voice throughout a learning process, each stage of that process is often reflected in the students' comments," which she categorizes into reflective, commentary, new idea, or application statements (online p. 1, Statement categories).

Advance preparation is needed, including preparing students for how to write to a blog so that what they say is LARK, the acronym for Legal, Appropriate, Responsible, and Kind.  Julie Sturgeon (2008) provides some pitfall to avoid when using blogs in the classroom: 

1. Educators should not just jump in to blogging.  Before students blog alone, Anne Davis (Sturgeon, 2008) says that teachers should "spend time letting students see samples, understand guidelines, and anticipate blogging and what it can mean to their learning" (p. 26).  Consider using Davis's 2006 Webquest, Blogging: It's Elementary!, to introduce your elementary students to blogging.
2. Don't confuse blogging with social networking.  An educational blog is about collaboration and expressing ideas related to academic content.
3. Don't leap to freebies.  Some free blog spaces post advertisements out of the educator's control.  The blog might not be a private space.  Students might be able to access the entire blogging world and vice-versa.
4. Don't force a sequential style.  Blog posts appear in reverse chronological order and valuable content might be overlooked as time passes.  With advance preparation, teachers can add structure to a blog by designating topics for discussion.
5. Don't leave the blogging to the students.  Teachers need to join in the discussion. (pp. 26-30).

Blogging tools:

The number of blogging tools for classroom use is increasing.  See examples and get the how to's using the following resources:

• b2evolution: http://b2evolution.net/index.php a free blogging open source platform that can run on your website.  It has additional features beyond those of traditional blogs, such as file and photo management.
• Class BlogMeister: http://classblogmeister.com/ by David Warlick is for teachers interesting in using blogging to publish their own articles and those of their students.  After setting up a class account, teachers can then set up student accounts and maintain control of content that students wish to publish. 
• Edublogs.org: http://edublogs.org/ provides free blogs for teachers, researchers, other educational professionals and students.

• Glencoe.com Using Blogs to Integrate Technology in the Classroom: http://www.glencoe.com/sec/teachingtoday/educationupclose.phtml/47

• TeachersFirst.com Blog Basics: http://www.teachersfirst.com/content/blog/blogbasics.cfm

• Technorati: http://www.technorati.com/ is the Internet search engine for searching blogs and social media.

Blog Safety and Ethics:

Online safety and ethics must be considered; students should sign a code of conduct.  In general, any blogging code of ethics should strike a balance between free expression with factual truth.  Ethical considerations, which students must be taught, include the need for truth, accuracy, and accountability for what they say, and respect for others even when students might disagree. There is also need to ensure that bloggers keep private issues private to minimize potential harm to others.  Consider the following for online safety and sample contracts for bloggers:

• Classblogmeister.com Blogger’s Contract: http://www.classblogmeister.com/bloggers_contract.doc  

• NetAlert Limited in Australia provides information about blogs and keeping children safe when blogging: http://www.netalert.net.au/01671-What-are-blogs.asp

• TeachersFirst.com Sample Classroom Blogger Agreement: http://www.teachersfirst.com/content/blog/Sample%20Blogger%20Agreement.doc

Folksonomy: The word is derived from "folk" and "taxonomy."  As opposed to taxonomy, which is a predefined traditional classification scheme created by authors of content for their own works or by professionals for the work of others ( e.g., as for a library or Yahoo.com),  this is a new concept in which users (sometimes called amateurs) of social bookmarking systems on the Web categorize their own information for later retrieval.  Users add their own keywords or tags to content they save, creating personalized or community-based organizational systems.  In time the community develops its own structure of keyword descriptors to define its resources. 

Educause Learning Initiave (2005, May). 7 things you should know about Social Bookmarking.

Wikipedia also discusses folksonomies and provides additional resources.

Modding: "a slang expression for the act of modifying a piece of hardware or software to perform a function not intended by someone with legal rights concerning that modification" (Wikipedia).

Podcast: Audio-based file, essentially like a radio program, which is available on the Web.  It can be played by any computer connected to the Internet or downloaded to play on iPods or other devices that can play MP3 audio files.  The file can be created using a computer, microphone, free software, and access to a web site for posting (The Education Podcast Network, What is a Podcast?).

Podcasts and learning:

• Podcasting: A Teaching with Technology White Paper by Ashley Deal (2007) of Carnegie Mellon University explores the educational value of podcasting in three ways: "the creation and distribution of lecture archives for review, the delivery of supplemental educational materials and content, and assignments requiring students to produce and submit their own podcasts" (p. 1). "Does podcasting enhance education? The answer to that question depends entirely on the educational context, including goals and appropriate learning activities, and on how the tool is implemented. Podcasting does not contain any inherent value. It is only valuable inasmuch as it helps the instructor and students reach their educational goals, by facilitating thoughtful, engaging learning activities that are designed to work in support of those goals" (p. 12).

Podcast aggregators:

• iTunes: http://www.apple.com/itunes
• Juice: http://juicereceiver.sourceforge.net/index.php 

Podcast directories:

• David Warlick's Education Podcast Network: http://epnweb.org/  
• Podcast.com: http://podcast.com/

Other podcast examples, how to's, copyright/legal info:

• Apple.com Podcasting in Education: http://www.apple.com/education/resources/podcastingvideos/ These short videos explain what podcasting is all about, help you create one, and illustrate benefits for education. 
• Educause Learning Initiave (2005, June). 7 things you should know about Podcasting.
• K12 Handhelds has an excellent tutorial on how to create podcasts: http://www.k12handhelds.com/podcasting.php Included are devices for listening to podcasts, content that might be included, the relevance of podcasts in education, suggestions for recording and editing software, samples of podcast directories, and how to publish a podcast.
• Peter Meng's Podcasting and VODcasting: http://edmarketing.apple.com/adcinstitute/wp-content/Missouri_Podcasting_White_Paper.pdf
• Learninginhand.com: http://learninginhand.com/podcasting/index.html Tony Vincent presents details for learning to create podcasts: preproduction, recording, postproduction, and publishing.
• Lorrie Jackson's tutorial at Education World, Creating a Podcast: http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/techtorial/techtorial092.shtml
• Podcasting Legal Guide: Rules for the Revolution: http://wiki.creativecommons.org/Welcome_To_The_Podcasting_Legal_Guide
• Podcasting Tools: http://www.podcasting-tools.com/ everything you need to know

Podcast Tips:

• When creating podcasts, consider learners who might be hearing impaired.  They would benefit from a text version of the podcast that is posted online.  If the content is part of course requirements, all learners must have access to it.
• If you use a podcast in your instruction, Ann Marie Dlott (2007) suggests that you might use a think aloud strategy to "demonstrate the skills students would need to listen successfully to a podcast: how to rewind, replay, and pause to take notes" (p. 81). 
• If students create their own podcast, provide a rubric so they will know how their work will be critiqued.
• When posting your podcast, add metatags so that the podcast can be easily retrieved.  The following is a sample of metadata that you might consider for podcasts (Boettcher, 2007, p. 3 [online]):
  • Title [Your Podcast Show Name] [Episode Number] [Episode Name]
  • Artist [Author]
  • Album [Your Podcast Show Name]
  • Track [Episode Number]
  • Comments [Episode Description]
  • Genre: Podcast   

Social Network:  A "map of the relationships between individuals, indicating the ways in which they are connected through various social familiarities ranging from casual acquaintance to close familial bonds"  (Wikipedia).

Note:  In 2006, a nationally representative telephone survey was conducted for the Pew Internet & American Life Project using a sample of 935 teens, ages 12-17, including a parent or guardian.  Results indicated that 55% of the online teens have their profiles online and are using social networks to communicate with current friends and to make new friends.  The majority of those only post their first names (81%), but they have included pictures of themselves (79%) and friends (66%), information about where they live (61%) and share their school name (41%) (Lenhart & Madden, 2007, pp. ii-iii).  

Social Network Tools:  When you think about it, the telephone is a social networking tool, as is group or individual email, or a face-to-face meeting (with or without notes to document what happened or what was said).  However, below might be more in line with thoughts on newer tools.

• Instant messaging
• Application sharing, as in Google Apps (see Simply Google for a list of those).
• Interactive whiteboards
• Live webcams
• VOIP, as with Skype for your telephone service, or online conferencing programs
• wikis
• discussion forums/groups
• blogs

Safe Social Networking Sites:  Social networks are a source of concern for parents and schools because of the online safety issues for students who use them.  Sites like Flickr, MySpace, YouTube, Del.icio.us, and Facebook might be among those, as they are open to anyone to use. However, there are social networks that parents with their kids and educators can use in which they can create a private, protected environment for learning, and which have been rated as safe. Examples:

• Classroom 2.0: http://www.classroom20.com/) is  a social networking site for educators interested in Web 2.0 and collaboration.
• Elgg: http://elgg.org/   (named after a town in Switzerland) is free open-source social networking software for educators and their students to create a secure "personal learning landscape.  "It offers blogging, networking, community, collecting of news using feeds aggregation and file sharing features. Everything can be shared among users with access controls and everything can be cataloged by tags as well."  If you are concerned about it's use in K-12, consider that you can install it on your own servers and have complete control over it.
• Imbee: https://www.imbee.com/ has a teacher feature to extend the classroom online with class blogs and interaction to safely guide students into social networking.  Cost is free.
• Ning: http://www.ning.com/ Networks can be public or private.  Ad-free networks are available for K-12 classrooms.
• Think.com: http://www.think.com/en/, sponsored by Oracle Education Foundation as a free resource to K-12 schools, provides a safe password-protected environment to connect schools, teachers, and students from around the world to collaborate on projects, share experiences, and build knowledge together.  Simple publishing tools are provided for teachers and students to create their own web pages and engage in discussion.
• TIGed (TakingITGlobal): http://www.takingitglobal.org/tiged/ offers a collaborative environment in which students gain access to global perspectives on global issues and new options for expressing their creativity.  They can engage in project-based learning.  A database of lessons is included.  The environment is under control of the teacher, making safe social networking possible. TakingITGlobal.org membership is free, but small fees are attached for TIGed virtual classrooms, activity database, and teacher discussion boards.
• Whyville: http://www.whyville.net/smmk/nice is for 8-15 year olds. In 2006, Whyville received iParenting's award for its safety features.

Vodcast or Vidcast: a video podcast

VoIP: (Voice over Internet Protocol) is a technology that "allows you to make telephone calls using a broadband Internet connection instead of a regular (or analog) phone line" (Federal Communications Commission). Examples:

• Elluminate's vRoom: http://www.elluminate.com provides VoIP and is a free, Web conferencing tool for up to three people.  It enables users to integrate real-time interaction into daily activities, including small group meetings and training, one-on-one tutoring, interviewing and virtual office hours. It includes two-way audio, interactive whiteboard, direct messaging, application sharing, file transfer, live web cam, and more.
• Skype: http://www.skype.com/  is a free downloadable program that will allow you to make free calls over the internet to anyone in the world who also has Skype.

Webcast: A program combining audio and video that is delivered live or played back on demand over the Internet.

You might begin your exploration of webcasts with the following:

• Education News Parents Can Use: http://www.connectlive.com/events/ednews/ from the U.S. Department of Education
• Library of Congress webcasts: http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/

Wiki: Hawaiian for quick, "a type of website that allows users to add and edit content and is especially suited for constructive collaborative authoring" (Wikipedia).  Wikis can be organized many ways (e.g., subjects, categories, hierarchies).  They often contain a search engine, unlike many blogs (Fountain, n.d.).

For more on the role of wikis in education, see:

• Educause Learning Initiave (2005, July). 7 things you should know about Wikis.

• Encyclopedia of Educational Technology: Wikis http://coe.sdsu.edu/eet/Articles/wikis/index.htm by Cathy Arrequin (2004)

• Wiki Pedagogy: http://www.profetic.org:16080/dossiers/article.php3?id_article=969  by Renée Fountain

• Wikis in the Classroom: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3429997833514823728&q=classroom&hl=en Victoria Davis of Westwood Schools (GA) has a video explaining how she uses wikis in the classroom.  This is a very instructive video on the process.  Highly recommended.

Wiki Tools:

• PBwiki.com: http://pbwiki.com/ 

• Wikispaces for Educators: http://www.wikispaces.com/site/for/teachers offers K-12 educators space to create their wikis--all for free and without advertising.  You can designate your wiki as public, protected, or private.  Public wikis can be viewed and edited by anyone.  Protected wikis can be viewed by anyone, but only members can edit content.  Private wikis might be preferred by educators, as only members can view and edit pages. 

Wiki Concerns:

Will Richardson (2005) provides a cautionary statement about the use of wikis: "There are no technological safeguards against a user putting bogus information into the site or vandalizing an entry; the community of people using the wiki keeps the information accurate by policing itself" (p. 25).  On the positive side, however, best practices for using wikis in both business and educational environments include for project management, reducing email overload, and building a dynamic intranet, according to Jeff Brainard of Socialtext.net (Kane, Reingold, Brainard, 2007). 

Classroom wikis are great educational tools for student collaboration and note taking as teachers can track student postings.  However, public wikis (e.g., Wikipedia) can pose a problem when used as research tools.  Users don't necessarily know anything about the authors of the content, their credibility, and validity of the content posted.  We need to encourage students to use primary and secondary sources when conducting research, and to teach students critical evaluation skills for what they read.  As educators, we are faced with the dilemma of using public wikis as "sources consulted" but not "sources cited" (Schrock, 2007, pp. 38-39).  In fairness, however, Wikipedia is making greater effort to ensure credibility and reliability of its content (e.g., see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sources).  You’ll see lists of references at the bottom of pages.  Imbedded within content,  citations are numbered and you will see the phrase “citation needed” next to unreferenced content.  For example, look for those as you read about Web 2.0 at Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0).

 

HOT:  Need more inspiration to try Web 2.0 tools? Check out the Edublog Awards (http://edublogawards.com/) from 2004-2007 in best of everything categories (e.g., individual, group, new, and teacher blogs; best educational use of audio, video, social networking service, virtual world, wiki and more).  Of course, you can then visit those sites. Read Web 2.0 Coming of Age: An introduction to the NEW worldwide web (http://www.shambles.net/web2/comingofage/index.htm) edited by Terry Freedman (2006).  This free 93-page booklet, also available in audio format, provides more practical advice on how to get going and applications in education.  HOT:  Need help with keeping up? Webopedia is online dictionary and search engine for computer and Internet technology definitions. Webopedia Web 2.0 terms will help you expand your vocabulary. The University of Manitoba's Learning Technologies Centre has created a wiki, "Net Technologies for Teaching and Learning," to help you keep up with the latest on Flickr, Blogs, Wikis, SocialBookmarking, Audio, Video, WebConferencing, and TyingItAllTogether. Howard Rheingold (2006) has started one of the best resources on Participatory Media Literacy (PML). Hosted by Socialtext.net, "This wiki-based curriculum combines texts that address the social, political, economic, cultural aspects of participatory media with practical instructions in the use of each medium" (PML, sec: Syllabus).  Exercises combine theory and practice for bloggers, wiki workers, social bookmarkers and media-sharers, podcasters, and vloggers, and individuals who want to become any of those.

Sources for above definitions:

British Library: http://www.bl.uk/aboutus/stratpolprog/redeflib/glossary/index.html

Education Podcast Network: http://epnweb.org/  

Federal Communications Commission: http://www.fcc.gov/voip/

Fountain, R. (n.d.). Wiki pedagogy:  http://www.profetic.org:16080/dossiers/article.php3?id_article=969

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

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